Counterbalance



C. G. ALMQUIST.

COUNTERBALANCE. APPLICATION FILED MAYIS. Ins.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

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I NOURAPI cu., WASHINGTON D c C. G. ALMQUIST. COUNTERBALANCE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I5. Isls.

1 3 l 2,665 Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITE CARL G. ALMQUIST, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COUNTERBALANCE.

Lsiaees.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Application filed May 15, 1919. Serial No. 297,187.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL G. ALMQUIST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Counterbalances, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved 1c okunterbalance for windows, doors and the The usual form of counterbalance particularly for windows comprises a balance weight movable up and down within the window frame and attached to the sash either by cords which in time deteriorate and frequently break, requiring the opening of the window frames for repairs, or by chains, which are more or less noisy in operation. It sometimes occurs that the window sash changesweight either by being more or less damp, or by the use of thicker or thinner glass, and it being difficult to alter the counterweight, thereafter the sash does not properly balance, and will either not stay closed or will not stay open without fastening means.

By means of my improvement, I not only eliminate all of the above mentioned detrimental features, but I am enabled to produce a counterbalance which will retain the window at the height to which it is placed by hand; which .will neither tend to raise or lower the sash; which once installed is substantially permanent; and which in case of necessity can readily be opened for repairs.

My invention consists in rigid supporty projections extending laterally from the sash. and adapted to enter within the hollow uprights of the window frame, and a series of flexible resilient supports in the path of each projection adapted to be forcibly flexed and interlocked by the downward movement of the projections, and to be automatically unlocked as the projections move upwardly.

My invention includes various important details of construction, which will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with said accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of a Window provided with a counterbalance constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, the lower sash being broken away;

Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical section substantially on the line 4 -4 of Fig. 2, part of the boxing being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the flexible supports;

Fig. 6 is a central sectional view of the support taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail sectional views showing a slightly modified manner of securing the counterbalancing members.

In said drawings, 1 represents the member to be counterbalanced, which may be a vertical removable door or a window sash, as shown. The sash is movable up and down within a frame comprising side members 2., a sill 3 and a window top or cap 4. The frame is provided as usual with a dividing strip 5, to separate the grooves for the upper and lower sash, and an inner side strip 6, which together with the division strip forms the vertical groove 7 on the window frame in which the edge of the lower sash moves and is guided. `Likewise the frame is provided with side grooves 8, in which the upper sash is movable up and down. j

I provide a hollow sheet metal box member 9 within each side post 2 for each edge of each sash, in which I arrange the counterbalancing devices and arranged to be easily secured in position, or to be removed for repairs. Each box 9 comprises a flat cover member 10 arranged with its inner face flush with the bottom of the window groove and secured by screws 11, and a channel or box member 12 secured to and carried by the cover member 10 and occupying a space within the side post 2 between the vertical members 13 and 14. The channel member has a bottom wall land side walls 16.

To sup-port thel vsash I provide a rigid supporting proj eotion 17 secured to the sash and arranged to project within the hollow post or box 9 and move up and down within the box as the sash is moved up and down. I provide one of these projections on each edge of each sash. I preferably secure the support 17 at the lower end of the sash, as shown, though such an arrangement is not a necessity.

Each projection 17 consists of a U-shaped frame 18 arranged within the post and comprising a top connecting plate or member 19 and depending side members 20. The U- shaped member' is mounted ,on the sash 3 by vmeans of an inwardly projecting weblike connecting plate 21 which I form L- shaped having one fiange 22 adapted to be sunk into the lateral edge of the sash frame, and another fizn'ge 23 adapted to be sunk into the face of the sash frame, and to be secured in place -by screws 2-1. I make the web 21 relatively thin. and I provide the cover 10 of the box 9 with a vertically extending central slot 25 `in which the web 21 is freely movable up and down with the sash. To permit the placement of the sash in the windo-w frame with the supports 17 in place on the sash., I provide large openings 26 at the upper ends of the boxes 9 in the covers 10, into which the slots 21 terminate and nvhich permit the supports to be entered into the boxes.

The U-shaped frame 17 forms support-s for anti-friction rollers 27 and 28 which are mounted on horizontal Ipins 29 and 30, res iectively, and are provided with anti-friction elements 31 between the pins and the rollers. These rollers are arranged parallel. with the side walls 16 of the box 9 and are adapted to engage flexible resilient cooperating support members 32 which I secure 'to and upon the side walls of the box 9. Each of these coperating support members comprises a. fiat Ipiece of resilient metal having one end 33 made thin enough to act as a spring and adapted to be secured in a slot 34 which I provide in the side wall 15 of the box 9. The body of the member 32 projects within the box into the path of the support projection 17. 'I arrainge a. series of the support members 32 on each side wall 16 of the box. The members of each series are one above the other, and adapted to be engaged successively by the rollers carried by the support projection, as the sash descends.

While I might arrange a series of the support members on only one wall of the box 9, I prefer to use a. series on each wall so that the flexing thereof will be balanced and the sash will move freely up and down 'in proper free counterbalanced condition,

and `substantially without friction.

I arrange two of the rollers 29 at the upper end o-f the support frame 17, one for each series of the supports 32 and likewise two of the rollers 30 at the lower end of the frame. Considering one lseries of the su-pports 32 and the manner of their engagement by the rollers 29 and 30; the rollers are close together vertically and the outer or contacting part of the upper roller 29 is extended out farther than the lower roller 30 so that the flexing effect of the two rollers can be likened to a wedging action against the flexible supports 32, the rollers 30 contacting with and beginning the flexing of the supports 32 and the upper roller completing the flexing of same.

In order that -there may be some initial supporting effect of the members 32 I place them under initial tension by springing their inner ends downwardly as shown at 35, Fig. 3, and I retain them in such downwardly sprung con-dition by a middle contact ledge or flange 36 which I provide on the back w-all 17 of box 9. This ledge 36 extends from the bottom to the top of the box and retains the two series of supports 32 free of each other at all times and permits their independent flexing by the rollers 29 and 30.

It will now be understood that as the sash is lowered the rollers in the frame 20 will successively engage and flex downwardly the several supports 32 bending them back out of the path of the rollers. I arrange the supports 32 close enough together so that there are at least`two of these supports in engagement with the rollers at all times, and I thus secure the supporting effect oneach side of the sash of four of these spring supports at all times. I am thus enabled to make these supports relatively small and light and the successive iexing of the same is effected very smoothly and without shock or jar.

It will be apparent that once having forced the supports 32 back out of the path of the rollers on the downward movement of the sash, it is necessary to retain them in such flexed condition to permit the support frame 2O with the rollers to rise freely when the sash is again raised. I accomplish this by providing each member 32 with a hook 37 on its free end. This hook is turned outwardly and I provideeach lof the members 32 with an opening 38 between its ends adapted to receive the hook of the member next above same as the members are flexed. descends the rollers successively engage and press the free ends of the members 32 downwardly and outwardly and the hooked end of each enters the opening in the body of the members just below. I so proportion the hooks and the openings that the hooks can freely enter the openings as the members are flexed and then as the sash continues to descend the member which has just been en tered is next flexed or bent, which flexing shortens the effective length of the member from the side wall to theinner edge 39 of the opening 38 and causes said inner end 39 to enter within the hooks 37 engaging the member 32 next above and preventing its As the sash return to its normal position until again disengaged by the unbending of the member next below. I preferably make the wall 39 which enters within the hook, wedge shaped or tapered as shown so that it will readily enter within the hook without hindrance.

In this manner all of the members 32 above the roller are flexed and locked inl position and all of the members below same are in normal unlocked condition. Furthermore these flexible support members cannot become unlocked and thus spring back into the path of the rollers until the rollers move upwardly and successively unlock the several projections. Also it will now be understood that though all of the members 32 above the rollers at any time are flexed, their holding or counterbalancing power is not cumulative, the only counterbalancing eect at any time is produced by the unlocked members 32 which are in contact with the rollers 29 and 30.

As the force for holding the members 32 flexed is largely taken up by the lixed ends of the members, the cumulation of the counterbalancing force is so small as to be practically negligible. Consequently it requires but little more force to depress the sash adjacent to its lower position, when substantially all of the members 32 are flexed, than adjacent to its upper position when but few of the members 32 are flexed. But in either position the lifting power of the lower flexed members 32 is not sufficient to raise the sash and consequently the sash remains stationary in the position, whether high or low, to which it has been moved by hand. In other words it requires the addition of a slight force both to depress and to raise the sash.

I prefer to permanently secure the members 32 in the side walls 16 of the box`9 and I do this by forming their rear ends with transverse shoulders 40 adapted to contact with the inner face of the side wall and after the end of the member' hasbeen projected through the slot 3A in the side wall, I bend it over as shown at 41, F ig. 3, thus eifectually locking the member in place.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown another manner of mounting these members which for some reasons is cheaper to manufacture. In this form I provide downwardly inclined 1l-2 in the side walls 16 and I bend the outer free ends 43 of the members 32 to form a flange of a height to slide freely through the slot ll2 in entering the members 32 in place as shown in Fig. 7 and to engage the outer face of the wall 16 when the member 32 is flexed downwardly into its normal position within the box, the under side of the memberl engages the upper inner edge 44 of the lower wall of the slot 42 and lifts the flange -l3 into contact with the outer face of the upper wall of the slot as shown in Fig. 8. Under such conditions the member 32 cannot work out of its position, as it is always under tension and the friction on the edge l2 prevents its sliding' in the slot. For the purpose of preventing the fracturing of the ends 33 of the members 32 when they are flexed over the edges sul, I `prefeably round the edges il as shown in 1F 7 and 8. After the device has been installed in the window the members are permanently prevented from movement; in the slots il2 by the meinbers 13 and lil of the window frame which vcontact with the outer surfaces of the walls 16 of the box 9.

It will be apparent that many modifications of my invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and I therefore do not limit or confine my invention to the specific structures herein shown and described.

I claim:

l. A counterbalance for a vertically movable member comprising a series of flexible resilient elements, adapted to be successively engaged and flexed by the downward movement of said member, and formed for successive interengagement and adapted by Said engagement to be held in such flexed condition.

2. A counterbalance for a vertically movable member comprising a series of flexible resilient elements arranged to lie in successive overlapping condition when fiexed, and adapted to be engaged and liexed by the downward movement of said member, each of said elements formed for engagement by the element next below when flexed and to be retained in liexed condition thereby until said element next below is unflexed.

3. A eounterbalance for a vertically movable member comprising a lateral projection rigid with said member, two series of ilexible resilient elements arranged on opposite sides of said projection and between which said lprojection moves up and down, said elements adapted to be engaged and flexed by the downward movement of said projection, and means for retaining said elements flexed until. said projection again rises.

4l. A counterbalance for a vertically movable member comprising a lateral projection rigid with said member, two series of flexible resilient elements arranged on opposite sides of said projection and between which said projection moves up and down, said elements adapted to be engaged and flexed by the downward movement of said projection, and means for retaining said elements flexed until said projection again rises.

5. A counterbalance for a vertically movable member comprising a lateral projection rigid with said member, two series of flexible resilient elements arranged on opposite sides of said `projection and between which said projection moves up and down, said elements being under initial tension, said elements adapted to be engaged and flexed by the downward movement of said projection, and means for retaining said elements fiexcd until the projection again rises.

6. A counterbalance 'for a vertically movable member comprising a lateral projection rigid with said member, two series of fiexible resilient elements arranged on opposite sides of said projection and between which said projection moves up and down, said elements adapted to be engaged and flexed by the downward movement of' said projection, and said elements formed for interengagement for successively and serially locking said elements in fiexed condition.

7. A counter-balance for a vertically movable member comprising a lateral projection rigid with said member, two series of flexible resilient elements arranged on opposite sides of said projection and between which said projection moves up and down, said elements adapted to be engaged and flexed by the downward movement of said projection, means for holding` said elements flexed until said projection rises, said holding means adapted to be unlocked by the upward movement of said projection.

8. A counterbalance for a vertically movable member comprising a laterally extending rigid projection on said member, two series of flexible resilient elements, arranged on opposite sides of said projection and between which said projection moves up and down, said elements adapted to be engagedl and flexed by the downward movement of said projection, each of said elements formed with a hook and an opening, the hook of one engaging in the opening of the element next below when flexed and adapted to be disengaged by the unflexing of the said next below element.

9. A counterbalance for a vertically mov able member comprising a series of vertically resilient elements arrangedl to lie in successive overlapping condition, when flexed, and adapted to be engaged and flexed by the downward movement of said member, each of said elements formed for engagement by the element next below when flexed and to be retained thereby in fiexed condition, the series of elements adapted to be maintained in flexed condition by the flexing of the elements held in flexed condition by said member and to be successively released in reverse order by the rising of said member.

10. A eounterbalance for a vertically movable member comprising a projection rigid with said member and extending laterally therefrom, two series of flexible resilient elements arranged on opposite sides of said projection and between which said proj ection moves up and down, said projection being wedge shaped and adapted to wedgingly spread said elements apart as it descends, means for holding said elements spread apart until said projection `again rises.

11. A eounterbalance foravertically movable member comprising a projection rigid with said member and projecting laterally therefrom, two series of flexible resilient elements arranged on opposite sides of said projection and between which said projection is movable up and down, anti-friction rollers on said projection arranged to produce the effect of" a wedge in flexing said elements, said elements adapted to be successively and serially flexed by the downward movement of said projection, means for retaining said elements in flexed condition, the upward movement of said projec tion adapted to unlock said elements and permit them to return to their unfiexed condition.

12. The `improvements herein described comprising a vertically movable member, channels at the sides of said member, projections rigid with said member entering said channels, thin webs connecting said projections with said member, slots in the faces of said channels through which said webs extend, two series of flexible resilient elements in said channel between which said projection moves up and down, anti-friction having a hooked end and an opening, the.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, ty4 addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C, 

